Partial refund of fuel excise to road hauliers: specific rate of €38 per hectolitre from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2004

Article 23 2° of the 2004 Finance Act amends Article 265 septies of the Customs Code, which lets road freight companies recover part of the domestic consumption tax on the diesel used by their heavy goods vehicles. The reference price is now that of 28 February 2003 (instead of 20 January 2003) and the specific rate used to calculate the refund is set at €38 per hectolitre for the period from 1 March 2003 to 31 December 2004. For 2004 consumption, the refund period runs from 21 January to 31 December 2004. The same article also raises the diesel excise rate from 11 January 2004.